Apparatus for coating or galvanizing sheet metal



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. E. A. HARVEY.

APPARATUS EOE GOATING 0R GALVANIZING SEEET METAL. ENO. 403,944. Patented Mag 7, 1889.,

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

E. A. HARVEY. l APPARATUS EUR GOATING 0R GALVANIZING SHEET METAL. A

Nox. 403,044. Patented May 7, 1889 NITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

EDMUND A. HARVEY, OF IVILMINGTON, DELAWARE, ASSIGNOR TO THE MCDANIEL & HARVEY COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR COATING OR GALVANIZING SHEET M-ETAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 403,044, dated May '7, 1889.

Application filed May 6, 1887. Serial No.237,3l7. (No model.)

.To all whom, itmay concern.'

Be it known that I, EDMUND A. HARVEY, of Wilmington, New Castle county, State of Delaware, have invented a new and useful Improved Apparatus forCoating or Galvanizing Sheet Metal, of which the following is a true and exact description, due reference being had to the drawings which accompany and form part of this specification.

My improvement relates to apparatus for coating` metallic sheets, and especially to galvanizing or coating sheet-iron with zinc; and it has for its object to improve and simplify the roller-baths used for this purpose and to so arrange the appliances used to handle the sheet that they may come from the bath with as little accumulation of metallic zinc along their lower edges as is possible.

Referring now to the drawings which illustrate my invention, Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section of a bath having my improved appliances, said section being taken on the line x a: of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a plan of Fmy improved bath, the upper portions being cut away on the line z e' of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the bath on the line y y of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one o'f the lower bearings in which my rolls rest.

A is the bath, which may be of any ordinary construction.

B B are rollers, which, as shown, are intended to be only partially immersed in the melted metal and separated one from the other, so as to act merely as skimming-rollers to keep the melted metal between them bright; but they may also be used as feed-rolls by bringing their peripheries into contact or close proximity to each other.

C C, disc., are the bearings upon which my rollers rest. These bearings rest upon the cross-bar of the frame D, which fits into the cuts c c. Vhen used, as shown in the drawings, with rolls which are not intended to act as feed-rolls, one edge, C', of the bearing C is carried up, so as to prevent the roll resting upon it from coming in contact with the neighboring roll. (See Fig. 3.)

D is a frame, which, as aforesaid, supports the bearings upon which the rollers B rest. It is secured upon a cross-bar, E, which bar has also secured upon it lugs F F, which rest upon the ends of the rollers B, or upon the bearings of said rollers, and prevent the roller from floating up away from its bottom bearing C. The cross-bars E, I arrange so that they can be elevated or depressed at will, in order to keep the rollers B in proper position with regard to the level of the melted metal in the bath. As shown in the drawings, I secure these cross-bars upon screws G, having nuts g g, by means of which a bar can be elevated or depressed, said screws G being secured in a frame, H, as shown; but I do not intend to limit myself to this device, as the cross-bars E may be arranged with any familiar device for raising or lowering, or may simply rest on the edges of the bath and be adj usted by means of wedges. The adj ustability of the cross-bars E and the rollers depending upon them is important not only in keeping the rollers in a proper position while in use, but also to enable them to be lifted out of the bath when out of use.

I is a stationary bearing for the shafts J J. These shafts are parallel to each other and are connected by means of gear-wheels K, so as to rotate in opposite directions. They are free to move longitudinally in their bearings I, and are connected with the rollers B B through connecting-rods or shafts L L, said connections L being secured to the rollers B and to the shafts J by means of universal joints N and M. It will readily be seen that by this arrangement I am able to drive the rollers B in any position they may be in and that all the gearing whichis at all likely to get out of order through immersion of melted metal is removed from it, such portions as are within the bath being exceedingly simple and not likely to be injured by the heat or contact with the melted Zinc. While I prefer to make my shafts J movable in their bearings, as described, the same advantage is obtainable, though not, I believe, in the same degree, by making the rollers B free to move longitudinally in their bearings; or both the rollers and the shafts J may move.

O is a gear-wheel gearing with one of the wheels K.

O is a sprocket-wheel secured to and moving with the wheel O.

P is the drive-chain passing over the sprock- IOC etwheel O and over another sprocket-wheel, Q, (see Fig. 3,) situated upon a shaft, R. On this same shaft R, I secure a grooved pulley, S, in the groove of which rests a rope or cord, T, having secured upon one end gripping'- tongs V, the wheel S being so situated that the tongs depending from it will normally hang directly over the center of the bath A.

The operation of my device does not differ substantially from those in use. The metal to be coated is immersed in the bath and one en d elevated between the rollers B B. This end is gripped by the tongs V, and the operator then takes hold of and draws upon the rope T, tightening it on the face of the grooved pulley7 S, which said pulley then comes into play and elevates the sheet, drawing it out of the bath in such a way that the metal runs down its edge and collects at the lower point, which is the last to leave the bath. lVhat is called a list edge, or a cumulation of metallic zinc along the edge of the plate, is thus avoided. As soon as the sheet is Withdrawn from the bath it is deposited in proper position, and, the operator then releasing the rope T, the Weight of the tongs causes it to fleet or run back on the face of the pulley, and it is then ready to take hold of a new sheet.

Itis important that the periphery of the pulley S should move at the same rate of speed as the periphery of the rollers B, so that in case the rollers should come in contact with cach other at any point, and thus grip and feed the sheet between them, the rope T should not lose its connection with the sheet, but move at the same rate of speed as the rollers, take it up, and carry it on without interruption or jar. Any desired connection between thefeed-rollers and the pulley S may l. In combination with a bath for coating sheet metal,`rollers suspended in adjustable frames and driven from gears situated out side of the bath by means of connections L, secured to said rollers and to the gear-shafts by universal joints M N, said shafts and roll ers being so arranged with respect to their supporting-bearings as to be longitudinally movable therein, so that the roller-frame can be adj usted without altering the length of the connections L.

2. In combination with a bath for coating sheet metal, substantially as shown and described, skimming-rollers B B, situated in the said bath with their axes substantially in the same horizontal plane, a grooved pulley, S, situated above the bath, and gearing connecting said rollers and pulley, whereby they are caused to move with the same peripheral velocity, all substantially as and for the purpose specifi ed.

EDMUND A. HARVEY.

lVitnesses:

CHARLES F. ZIEGLER, JOSHUA MATLACK, Jr. 

